Who Can Get SSDI Benefits Fast-Tracked?

Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits with the Social Security Administration (SSA), receiving an approval notice, and getting your first check can be a lengthy process — and this is assuming that everything goes smoothly the first time around. Many SSDI applicants are denied after submitting their initial application, and they must go through a reconsideration process, and sometimes even further appeal, in order to have their application for benefits approved.

Waiting to receive benefits you desperately need can be difficult. You may be wondering: is there some way to fast-track my application? There is a possibility for fast-tracking SSDI applications, but only certain people may be eligible. Our national SSDI lawyers can explain in more detail.

Traditional Time Period for SSDI Benefits 

In general, SSDI recipients who are approved for benefits must wait a period of a full five (5) calendar months from the date their disability began before they can begin receiving checks. Accordingly, most SSDI recipients do not begin receiving payments until the sixth full month after their disability began. To put that time period another way, most SSDI recipients who are approved end up waiting half of a full year before getting their first check. Six months is a long time to go without wage-replacement or any other type of benefits.

You may be waiting even longer if you have to go through the reconsideration process, or take your appeal before an administrative law judge (ALJ). To be eligible for a fast-tracked approval and quicker payments, you will need to be eligible for the SSA’s “Compassionate Allowances” program, or the CAL program.

Understanding the Compassionate Allowances Program 

The Compassionate Allowances program, according to the SSA, allows the agency to “fast-track medical decisions for people who apply for disability and have the most severe conditions.” Those include “certain cancers” and “adult brain disorders.” The Compassionate Allowances program began in 2008 and has fast-tracked more than one million disability applications since that date. And since that time, more conditions have been added to the list for fast-tracking. For example, nine new conditions were added as recently as August 2024. There are 287 eligible conditions.

While you may have to wait longer, your medical diagnosis may be determined in as little time as just a few days. The aim of the program is to ensure that people who need benefits most — and who may have little time left — receive the approval they need on a quicker timeline.

Contact a National Disability Benefits Attorney for Assistance with Your Case 

When you are dealing with the day-to-day reality of an excruciating disability that prevents you from working, it can be extremely difficult to realize that you may have to wait months before receiving your first SSDI check. It is important to seek legal advice as soon as you can to determine whether you could be eligible to have your disability decision and benefits fast-tracked in any capacity. One of the experienced national disability benefits attorneys at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz can discuss your case with you and your options for receiving benefits as soon as possible. Contact us to learn more about how we can assist with your SSDI application.

Sources:

ssa.gov/benefits/disability/approval.html

blog.ssa.gov/we-can-fast-track-disability-decisions-for-people-with-severe-conditions/

ssa.gov/compassionateallowances/